Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8948
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Class 4 Adventure on the Pole Line Road!
The Baja Pole Line Run #4 was an overwhelming success...in more ways than one. Our group consisted of some seriously capable Jeep Wranglers, a locked
Toyota pickup, and a locked Chevy Z71 with 35s. After meeting John Vera and fellow Marine Juan Rayavaca. at the Jalisco Restaurant on Imperial Blvd.
Friday afternoon, we dined on authentic Mexican cuisine, and talked about recent modifications made to John's Unlimited since Pole Line Run #2.
Growing in stature from 5" of ground clearance under his Skid Row gas tank skid, this Unlimited now featured a Kilby gas tank skid, 3.5" of body/susp.
lift, and taller 32" BFGoodrich tires. John pointed out that his recently added Novak shifter greatly aided in transfer case operation. Since Juan
has family and friends in Mexicali, the two drove south of the border where they met our group Saturday morning en route to Hwy 2.
Brothers Steve and Jim Grier attended this run from Reno, NV where Jim resides with his family. Brother Steve Grier flew in from Toledo, Ohio to
attend Pole Line Run #4 and to ride along in Jim's recently outfitted '03 Wrangler Rubicon. With a 1" Body lift, 6" Full-Traction long-arm
suspension, 35" BFGoodrich tires, 4.88 gears, built axles, winch, and all of the extras to make this a comfortable and safe trip, Jim and Steve were
ready for some real adventure.
Larry Crothers from Imperial, CA run Pole Line Run #4 with his father Mr. Alan Crothers of Coachella, CA. Larry recently put down $4,200.00 on a
fully installed 4" Full-Traction Long-Arm system on his '05 Wrangler X and with 32" BFGoodrich tires, new alloy wheels, and a new tire carrier system,
he was ready for some Baja action! Because Larry lives so close to the Mexican border, he and his father have shared many good times, and many
decades bouncing around in the desert in whatever modes of transportation were at their hands. The senior Crothers also boasted about owning a quad
which he loves to explore the desert in when he is not a passenger of his sons built Jeep.
Victor Rodriguez from Phoenix, Arizona took notice of this trail run, and drove down to San Luis Colorado, AZ along the Mexican border to pick up his
father Victor Rodriguez, Sr. to join him on the ride. This run had plenty of family involvement, and it was great to see brothers, fathers and sons
enjoying themselves side by side. Victor was the Pole Line Run Rockstar of this event. By driving out in his lifted Chevy Z71 pickup with 6" of
lift, 35" BFGoodrich tires, and factory rear locker, Victor was doing what is so rarely seen these days - 'wheeling a full-size Cowboy Cadillac!
Wendell Boyston of La Quinta, California is a proud desert rat who has not had the opportunity to attend a proper Baja run, but has figured a way to
fill his dashboard with Jeepers Jamboree dashplaques since ordering his Wrangler Sahara new from the dealership in 1998 with every possible
option...including a $35 block heater
option! Wendell attended alone since his wife had prior commitments and could not attend this run. With a 6" "Frankenlift" as Wendell calls it, 35"
Goodyear MT/R tires, Warn recovery gear, Collins lighting, and a penchant for adventure, Wendell loved every minute of this trail run.
Ivan Getting of Boulder, Colorado attended the Pole Line Run #4 in his Toyota Tacoma with the factory TRD options - rear locker, and upgraded
suspension. Ivan had recently upgraded his suspension to an upgraded rear spring pack, OME shocks, and with a plethora of Garvin navigational support
on-board, Ivan was able to calculate rates of ascention, distances between (previously generated) waypoints, estimated time of arrival between those
waypoints, along with generating our own event-specific waypoints to the tune of 100 waypoints along with elevation data!
As for myself (Ken Cooke), this is my 4th Pole Line Run that I have hosted on behalf of JustRuns of San Diego, CA. I drive an '03 Wrangler Rubicon
with a 4" Pro-Comp suspension, Milemarker recovery gear, Smittybuilt and Tomken bumpers/carrier, KC and Hella lighting, 33" TrXus MT tires, and a
low-dollar Radio Shack CB setup that outperformed my Cobra/Firestick combo and provided superior communications on the trail throughout this three day
run.
After a brief driver's meeting, our crew crossed the International border in single-file and were quickly greeted by John and Juan. Three additional
rigs did not show up at our meeting place along the entrance to the Laguna Salada, so we drove along a soft and recently soaked desert playa down
towards the Cohabuzo Junction where we later stopped for our lunch break. After pointing out that our trip would snake around the Sierra Las Tinajas
at the base of the Sierra Juarez escarpment, we pointed our seven vehicles towards the sandy, truck-shuddering Canyon Alamito wash where we would
spend our first evening under the stars. Our group viewed the dry, dusty olive plantation off to the distance which is situated along the graded road
to Canyon de Guadalupe - a hot springs oasis where JustRuns visited in the spring of 2004 and December 2005 (on Pole Line Run #3).
[Total Escape on Guadalupe Canyon]
After a chilly, windy evening, our group was awakened to a warm and brilliant sunrise. Barrel cactii were in bloom and Ocotillo bore green leaves
indicating recent rains had again brought the region to life. After packing our Jeeps, Toyota and Chevy, the plan was to ascend "The Summit" - a
place where SCORE races down a precipitous mountain trail in its' 500 and 1000 races from time to time. High atop "The Summit", the traveler is
treated to views of the Laguna Salada dry lakebed, the upper San Felipe desert, the Mexican state of Sonora, Mexico, the desert peaks Arizona,
California, and of course, the marvelous Sea of Cortez.
As our group ascended this rocky ledge of a trail, we spied sections of cobblestone which was laid in 1942, and had lasted the test of time since the
inception of this mountain trail. This road had been constructed by the Mexican government in order to aid in the development of a telephone line
from Ensenada to San Felipe during World War II. Although the Mexican government had balked at the idea of the United States constructing a
Transpeninsular Highway from Ensenada to the tip of Baja, California under the leadership of President Roosevelt, it was agreed that Mexico would
create this telephone line and accompanying cobblestone road concurrently with the Alaskan Highway which was constructed at the same time while our
country was at war with the axis powers.
Once our group reached a primitive corral, we stopped briefly and walked about studied the area. Gone was the carpet of plush, green grass which had
greeted our Pole Line #2 group in April '05. Recent rains had not measured up to the downpour of winter '05 and this area resembled a dirt lot more
than a desolate park like in '05. So, we turned our rigs around, and made our way back down to Canyon Alamito where we joined the trail as it
meandered towards Canyon Enmedio.
While this trail starts out as an easy one that could be completed in most any 4WD vehicle on the market, things quickly make a change going from
"Easy" to "Moderate", and later to "Most Difficult." Rocky washout sections provided our group with the chance to test our suspension articulation,
and in Victor's case, careful tire placement. Without the need to stop, and get out of our vehicles, we made record time as we continued on past the
abandonded water tank, and what we call, "The Perfect Cobblestone Hill" located in Canyon Enmedio. Once we reached the Cobblestone Hill, our group
paused for photographs atop this hand-laid path in what I consider to be a tradition on this run. After continuing another 10 minutes, our group
reached a Canyon Enmedio with a completely different personality. After stopping for a late lunch, I told everyone in April Fools jest that we were
eating our, "Last Supper", and in retrospect, I was right on the money.
The Last Supper in Enmedio:
Canyon Enmedio is a tributary which feeds the massive Canyon Jaquegel off to the south. Separated by a range of smaller mountains, this boulder
shrewn Enmedio has claimed at least one 4WD vehicle, as a lone Suzuki Samauri bares mute testimony to the rigors of off road travel in this desolate
stretch of desert vastness. With rocks the size of beachballs scattered around it, a torn soft top, and broken marker lights, this Samauri did not
have the umph to get out of Enmedio, but rather, succumed to its grip.
On our way down Canyon Enmedio, our group had marveled at some of the rock outcroppings which provided the perfect "Kodak moment" as we were treated
with a spot to stand our Jeeps on two wheels for a series of flex shots worthy of the magazines. As cameras clicked away, our attention was on the
right side of the canyon, and we did not notice that we parked our rigs near the entrance to Basketball Hill. This of course, led us further down
Canyon Enmedio than we had planned, robbing us of the daylight we had planned into our day, but providing us with some great action that Baja can be
known for.
As our vehicles bumped and skidded across larger and larger rocks, we were presented with an impassible situation where two boulders blocked the
canyon leading towards the 170 foot vertical waterfalls. With the ingenuity of our US Marines Rayavaca and Vera, along with the assistance of Wendell
and myself controlling the winch cables, and everyone else who helped toss rocks for 30 minutes, we were able to pull the big Z71 pickup up and over
the downed boulders with the aid of an improvised bridge constructed of hand-thrown rocks! Unfortunately, our group was treated to the bad news that
we had missed our turn to Basketball Hill to the tune of 2.1 miles downstream. With all of the careful negotiating involved in getting this many
vehicles down the boulder-piled Canyon Enmedio, Victor Jr. was given the bad news that we would have to pull his big Z71 across the same boulder
bridge a second time, in the dark! The normally cool-headed Victor Jr. was literally in shock. He could not conceive the thought of rock crawling
his extended-cab 4 wheel drive pickup truck with the torsion-bar drop kit, and unmaneuverably long wheelbase over the group of boulders that we had
encountered, but to do it twice, and in the dark, was pure lunacy.
After careful spotting, body damage, lots of winching, the use of IPF spotlights, video and digital cameras in use, Victor's pickup truck made it a
second time over the boulders without dropping into the adjacent ledge which could have rendered his truck a complete mess, and our trip a total bust.
Thanks to the careful winching of Wendell and Juan's spotting, Victors tall "Cowboy Cadillac" made it back up the canyon, and into camp after a hard
day of 'wheeling.
Our group finally set up camp at the entrance to Basketball Hill - a narrow canyon which climbs up a telephone pole-lined mountain, packed with enough
2'-3' rocks that would make most rock hounds happy. By 8:30 a.m., our group was on the move. Winch-equipped Jeeps were placed between the two pickup
trucks in an effort to get each vehicle up this tough canyon replete with v-notches and even cattle paths along the canyon walls which drift near the
"recycled" telephone poles which were placed in precipitous perches high above this definitely "Most Difficult" section of trail. Within 1 hour, each
of the seven vehicles ascended BBHill and our group posed for a congradulatory photograph on the saddle of this mountain which overlooks the rocky
quagmire of a canyon named Enmedio.
Just moments down the trail, our group drove along the banks of the spring-fed Canyon Jaquegel, and after driving down one more cobblestone path, we
were on its sandy shore. With a quick drive up the canyon, we were treated with cold, spring water the size of a 8' to 10' standing stream, tall
reeds, endemic fan palm species, and a rare grouping of desert flora all around. Some in our group wandered up this wet canyon, while others rested
near the vehicles, mindful of a long journey which still lied ahead.
After 30 minutes of downtime, our group pointed our vehicles down the canyon and carefully drove the remaining lower stretches of the Pole Line Road
in record time. Thanks to clearly visible tire tracks and a collection of GPS waypoints, our navigation led us down the Jaquegel, along its banks,
high up mountains, and to plateaus where we saw grazing wild horses, burros, long-eared Jack Rabbits, the ubiquitious desert rattlesnakes, and even a
quail or two.
Victor's BFGoodrich tire took a sharp stick in its' sidewall, but thanks to the well-prepared members of this group, we had the tire repaired, aired
up, and sealed within 30 minutes. Unmounting this tire was not necessary, and we were off in no time. By 4:30 p.m., our group had reached the
junction of Ejido Saldana and Highway 5 leading north and south. After connecting our swaybars, airing up our tires, and logging our contact
information, we promised to do it again real soon.
-Ken Cooke
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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Ken-------
------another great report on a fasinating area. Thanks for all the wonderful detail. Love it!!!!
Do you get the impression that this entire "run" is getting more and more difficult??? In other words, are the "trails" continuing to deteroriate
over the years??
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8948
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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The trail is indeed deteriorating at a steady pace. Sections of trail that were not difficult at one time are now present, and provide challenges to
both navigator and driver. Thanks to GPS technology, we can get around these challenges, and as vehicles become more capable, those challenges
diminsh somewhat.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8948
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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Barry I think it is the rains. The area had some very heavy rains this past year. And the trails don't have much traffic. The summit got cleaned up
because it had two races, in Nov the 1000 and in Dec the CODE race.
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